So after tasting at the 2014 incarnation of IPOB in NYC earlier this year, I shouldn’t have been surprised at the quality of wines coming out of the collaboration between sommelier Raj Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman.

But I was, because where they’d hit it out of the park in 2012, they launched it clear out of the park, bounced it off the hood of a shiny Corvette Stingray convertible in the stadium parking lot, and sent just about into escape velocity and geosynchronous orbit in 2014. But more on that in a minute or two, after you watch the interview I did with Raj’s cohort and IPOB’s co-founder Jasmine Hirsch, to discuss the impetus behind the event, and how they graduated from brainstorming a wish list of participating winemakers and wines on the back of a cocktail napkin, to formally selecting the IPOB touring lineup. [ Special thanks to The Drunken Cyclist for the camerawork, and to Jasmine for staving off minor starvation for a few minutes so we could chat on vid. ]

All done? Good. Now let’s get to the tasting notes, because in this case, the wines themselves are most definitely the story…

I was a media guest at the event, and as always, I didn’t even attempt to taste all of the wines, because I require a functioning liver and coherent speech to get me through the day, and because I don’t want palate fatigue clouding my judgment. So I’ll give you a rundown of the highlights from the portion of the lineup through which I did taste… and you’re going to want to pay attention to many of these, which teaches from delicious on one end to profound on the other. The short version is that IPOB has evolved to encompass some of the most exciting wines being produced in CA, displaying, somehow both smugly and proudly, the kind of products that prove not only that the give-me-anything-but-your-dad’s-CA-style-wine hipsters will have their day, but that they deserve their day. And I’m not using hyperbole there (but I will probably use it below, because I’m that kind of nerd and cannot help myself, at least for the two selections that most blew me away, and will be the focus of our virtual time together today, for which I swear I dressed up and even shaved… okay, not really, but I wanted to make you feel as though I cared…).

Anyway, it’s a testament to what Parr and Hirsch have done in bringing these producers together on display to note that I could easily have written features on any number of the producers taking part in the event, and that lineup is as chockfull of strong contenders as any I can recall in recent memory. As it stands, I’ll focus on the two standouts, but you’d do well to check out any of the wines included below (in which you’ll notice some interesting patterns, such as the Savoy vineyard really coming into its own, likely a benefit from increased investment from new owner Cliff Lede).

This is a wine that is, simply put, stupid amounts of good. The fruit comes from pure shale plantings which, according to Moorman, are on “a very soft shale,” which must be code for ‘it produces reedonclous superfruit’ because, well, that’s how this beauty by Parr’s and Moorman’s new collaboration tastes. Cloves, then wet stones, then ripe red berries, and a palate that’s Virgin-Mother immaculate in its spicy, lithe, and full expression. The fruit gives way to spices and black tea, then moves back to spices and again to fruit, playing through the migration for what seems like several minutes on the finish. It’s impeccable, with purity and staying power. It made me want to knee Moorman in the crotch in a jealous rage, then pick him back up and hug him in thanks for crafting something so excellent. Shut up, I told you there was going to be some hyperbole, but this PN deserves every twisted word of it.

From older parcels comes this ringer crafted by winemaker Ross Cobb, who I think still owes me money for putting in the good word for him in landing his consulting gig with the Claypools (I’m not holding my breath in terms of collecting, by the way). This might be the best wine Cobb’s ever had a hand in crafting, with only about 400 cases made, using fruit from Hirsch’s older parcels. It’s a baby now, pretty, structured, vibrant, but close to the vest. Sweet red fruits begrudgingly peek out, but the bottom line is that this is a stunner in the waiting, with an undeniable purity at its core that will take time to mature and come out of its shell.

I know… I know… it’s a bit much. But those wines reminded me of why I haul my butt out to tasting events in the first place, and made me downright happy to be in this business (which, given the natural progression innocent enthusiasm being lost to jaded sense of entitlement that is the hallmark of one’s career in almost any field – wine writing included – is probably saying something.

I'd be interested, in a Devil's Advocate kind of way, to know what wineries In Pursuit of Balance rejected for admission. And why. I don't expect them to respond, why would they?, but maybe those wineries would like to speak up. Maybe I just like unbalanced winemakers.

Joe, I actually know one winery that, I was told by a very reliable source, was turned down by IPOB, and wasn't happy about it. The winery has been making balanced and pretty wines for years, and was perplexed at the rejection. My guess? Not trendy enough.

Ron, one tasting panel's balanced wines are another's disjointed wines, I suppose. It could be fun to do a tasting of wines rejected from these tastings. Regarding trendy, I noticed after the fact that Twomey was there at ipob (at a section that I didn't even manage to get over to see, since I waste 75% of these tastings gabbing), and while I've no doubt the they deserved a spot (I'm a fan myself), their Silver Oak ownership probably is not viewed as trendy in the circle of tasters that ipob is courting.

Jason

Thursday, 27 February, 2014 at 17:50

I'll admit that when I first saw the list I was surprised that Arnot-Roberts and Rhys wouldn't be there. They both seem to be making "balanced" pinot and chardonnay.

Jason and Joe,
I remember Arnot-Roberts being at one of the IPOB tastings in San Francisco, so they may still be part of it. Rhys is great wine, to be certain, and would surely be included if they asked. Let's not forget that, in essence, IPOB is a marketing tool for Jasmine and Raj, a very successful marketing tool, but, at the end of the day, more about selling themselves than promoting wines with balance. Winemakers have been IPOB since winemaking began. The notion that Jasmine and Raj get to decide what that is is ludicrous on the best day.

Excerpt: The problems I’ve encountered with rot, mold, green tannins and flavors and vegetal notes in Pinot Noirs from 2010 and 2011 are worse than anything in my previous experience. It’s been truly shocking. Erratic, too: wineries that bottle numerous vineyard-designated Pinots (as so many do nowadays) will have one that’s ripe, and another that’s green and moldy–often from the same appellation. There are some famous brands that, in my opinion, should have declassified their wines, especially the 2011s; but declassification is rare in California.

Bob, there weren't any sessions apart from the tasting, so we didn't get into it generally. From what I tasted, there weren't any mold aroma issues, but we are talking about a very small subset here of CA PNs at the tasting.

Ron Saikowski { My WINE WALK Article on the same subject had several predictions which I believe will happen. First, mechanical grape harvesting will be way harvesting will... } – Dec 07, 11:21 AM

1WineDude { I've received some social media comments that under Trump, US citizens will have more expendable income with which they could buy more wine. This is... } – Dec 07, 7:32 AM

1WineDude { Michael, I think that's a bit of an overkill of a comparison, though a humorous one :). } – Dec 06, 2:45 PM

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